Instantaneous water-heater.



H. S. HUIVIPHBEY. INSTANTANEOUS WATER HEATER.

- APPLICATION FILED FEB. 2. I9I6. v 1,292,609, mmm-ed Jan. 28, 1919 2 SHEETS-SHEEI l.

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Il It wn-NEssEs mvEN-ron H. S. HUIVIPHREY.

#NSTANTANEOUS WATER HEATER.

. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 2, 191s. 1,292,609. Patented Jim: 1919 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

FIL-5.2.` l

A WITNESSES I PHBEY, a citizen of the United States, and' 'y 'IUNirED srnrns HERBERT SSHUMPHREY, OF KALMAZO, MECHI'GAN, ASSXGNOR T0 RUUD MANUFAC- TURING COMPANY, F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANA, .A CORPORATION OF PENN- SYLVANIA.

' INSTAN'ANEGUS lWATER-HEATER.

Specicetion of Letters Patent.

resented Jan. es, 191e.

Application filed. February 2, 1916.' Serial No. bl.

To all 'whom it ma concern: A

Bev itl known t. at. I, HERBERT S. HUM- resident of Kalamazoo, in the county of Kalamazoo and Stateof Michigan, have 1nvented certain new and useful improvements in Instantaneous Water-Heaters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has particular reference to so-called ystraight or direct instantaneous water heaters wherein the iiow of gas to the burner is controlled wholly by a pressure valvev in the'waterfline, the valve operating as a motor to open the gas valve when the pressureat the heater outlet is4 reduced, as by opening vva faucet. Heaters of this type areopen to the objection that kthere is no effective provision for proportioning the gas ilow to the amount of water withdrawn, the result being that the full supply of gas is turned on even when a comparatively small amount of water is required, the excessive H ow under such cir-v cumstances not only` being wasteful, but also resulting in heating the limited aiiliount Withdrawn toa much higher temperature than is ordinarily desired. ln heaters of .the character referred to itis impraetieable to graduate the supply of gas to the actual supply of water on account of varying water pressures, although of course'such gradua tion is .accomplishedin other types by interposing a therinostatic control or regu.n lator. i

The object of the present invention is to overcome this diiiicul'ty in pressure valve heaters by graduating the outlet of the water valve and correspondingly dividing` the fiow from the gas valve through a plurality of outlets, with each outlet connected to certain of the burners, whereby the number of burners rendered active is' determined by the amount of water withdrawn. For eX- ample, with a heater that is adapted to deliver four gallons per ,minute at a given temperature, if the withdrawal is at the rate of two gallons, gas will be supplied to only half the burners. i While a two-stage adapsure Vand gas valves in normally closed or set position. Fig. 2 is a similar View wherein the full lines illustrate the positions of the valves when approximately one-half of the capacity oi' the heater is being drawn' upon, while in dotted lines the valves are shown in full open position as when operating at full capacity. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the connections between the gas valve outlets and the burners.

Referring to the drawings, 2 designates the cylinder-forming casing' of the water pressure valve, and 3 is the inlet connection thereof, the inflow being controlled by valve Ll. 5 is the piston movable in casing 2. The hollow stem 6 et' this piston extends through and is guided by the tubular extension 7 of the casing. rihe piston is held normally raised by spring 8, thereby shutting oliE the itow through. the valve. Secured to the piston and extei'iding through stem (3 thereof is the rod 9 which is adapted to coperate with similar rod 10 ot' the gas valve, as will present-ly be described.

rThe outlet of the water valve .casing is controlled by piston 5, being opened or uncovered by the forward movementof the latter in opposition to spring 8, as when a faucet or other outlet from the `heater is opened. ln pursuanceof the present invention, .the outlet is of increasing urea in the direction of forward movement of `piston 5, inthe arrangement shown the oiltlet being einbodied in two ports 11 and l2 in the cylindrical Wall of casing 2 which open into chamber 13 to which the valve outlet is connected 2113.14. Ports 11 and 12 are adapted,

iefpeelirely. to be Q eed in communication with 'the voire inlet. l by the 'forward movement of piston il, the piston tirat ostablisir ingr eoninnmicatio-n with portl ll, and upon being halved farther forward nneovering port, valve may be provided for eontrolling the rior.' through port l. Inlet. ronneeted to the outlet portion of through itl` eontrolled by whereby a, ...mited amount of rl. ai; nag' resaltfroin a lealty waiter, :n taneet, may pas@ throngh without disturb'- ing,y piston and hence, without. opening the nog valve..

"ing may be connected water valle casino in any suitable as by a israel-1e' whereby stoms il and. lt) 'are held in a adapted to in the usual i maillon :il n i'thin tbe gas valve easing epm-a" the two delivery rhambera Q5 and riti from nhirh had the piper; and 2G',

respectively.' to the, separate gronps of gaa luarners il? and :35, rr entirely. A partition tl separater; ellamber 'from the gas inlet spare :2:12, and formed through partitions 13S? and Il are alinine porn; in whioh adapted to more the eylindrieal valvey 30, its head being held normally to its seat on partition :23' by aprilie' 32, an' in Fig. l. The portion of valve lil whirl; extends into chamber :lll hollmv and ot open-end eonsstruetion as inlinated at 32h and is also tin-nn with tha lateral porV n which are not-manly open lo anni el 4 t tllration: lf, ars in .he un'taneo here `shown, the valve la e 'two-otage form, upon withdrawal o? water Yfrom. the heater at the rate oi tivo gallonn per minute if the aparity il.; four Igallons. o nnbalaneingr of the prersxurea at oppoane sides ot piston 5 will adv; re the latter to the lfall line position olf rip". the-relax' nnrovering outlet. il, tho eli'eetifi area oi1V whirl) is eontrolled the Molti. ,g of ialve l5. liston 5 prefernbly oi hollow ronstruel oi and with a i oi l ol the head thereof tapered as inH at. whereby port; ll will be un- ;-iinlu and without opening' out iQ torwaril movement of pinion il 51 ,o ralfe Slt), entablif-l-.ing eonnnuni between inlet :2.2 rhamlnr 115. but

from outlet lult head i:-k r burners, the 'n inaetive i`pon with-- eater volnunfrom the preahure be- (idx-ama. and un- `i allfition lo port t n the ,grau .atill cloned oil' elia uber 2M. Tina-1, ,ea-1 under supplied o :say other hA drawn 'ieatzh gy l rover the vr il, and

(lllll 2lb in dotted lines in Fig. 2, thereby admitting gas to outlet chamber '26 through the hollow portion of the 'alve by means ot its lateral ports 3l, whereby a full head of gas is supplied to both groups ol.l burneis when the heater operates at full capacity. Upon closing the outletl from the water 'alve. both the water and gas valves are restored to normal closed position by their respective springs.

With the gas admitted to the. burners in stziges as here-in proposed, and with one or more :st-ages active as determined by the amount of water withdrawn, exceasive nso of "as and oxeessive heating when only a .snnill amount of water is required are prevented, thus in etlect providing a graduated control for `a straight healer without employin r a thermostat or other temperature rontro led means.

I claim:

l. In a water heater, the combination ol a water valve easing having` an inlety and an outlet, a piston 'within the easing having a variable forward movement and whieh when moved forward by inlet pressure in adapted to establish communication between said inlet and outlet., a gas valve 'aging having a plurality ofoutlets, separate. burners for the gas outlets and a gas valve operatively eonnected to said piston and adapted to o )en ono or more of the. gas outlets def pendent upon the. extent of forward move-- nient of the piston.

2. ln a water heater, the combination ot' a` 'ater alve 'asing having an inlety and an outlet, a piston in the easing having a variable forward movement, for controlling rommnnieation between said inlet and outlet with the outlet of int-raising area. in the diret-tion of forward niovement thereof, a gas valve easing having a plurality of outlets. separate burners for the gas outletl and va normally elOSed gas valve controlling said outlets and operatively eonnerted to said piston for opening,r one or more of said gran outlets depending upon tho extent of for-- ward movement of said piston.

il. ln a water heater, the eombinaiion ol :t \''ai'ei'\'alve fasing havilngr an `inlet and :l plurality of outlets, a piston. within the easingrl and when moved forward adapted to es tablish communieation between the inlet and one, or more of the outletbl determined by the extent of sueh forward movement, a nasvalve easing havingw l pfurality ol outlets. hnepal-ate burners for the ,aras outleta, and a normally closed valve operatively eonneeted to the piston and aetuated b v the latter to open one or more of the gas outlets determined by the extent of forward movement of .wald piston.

l. 'ln a water heater` the eombination of a water valve havingr a variable forward ieeeseoe movement, gayvelve casing leaving en inlet und. a plurality of outlets, e ges valve eontrolling communication between the inlet and outlets end operntively connected to tbe Water vulve und adopted initially to lieb communication with only one-oi the outlets and upon further opening movement vinlet and u plurality of outlets,

transmitted trom the unter vel-.ve adapted 'to piece another outlet else in communication with the gus inlet, und noopt-rete burner for eeen oi' tlie outlets- 5, ln e water beater, the combination of u Weter valve, e gus-vulve eosin-g having en thev outlets separe-ted from euch other and frornthe inlet by partitions, tbe partitions spaced upurt end having elining` porte, e gee valve fitting seidports und operatively eonneeted to the Water valve, the ges valve lier/ing ports normally in communication 'with the outlet distant from the inlet, tlie initial opening movement of the vulve adapted. to esteblisli eonununioation between the inlet 4und one of the outlets und further opening movement adapted; to place the distant outlet also comnuinieetion with the inlet tl'irougli the niedium of seid vulvel ports.

6., ln e Water heater, the combination of e wet'er valve, e gus-valve xoesing having en inlet and tvio outlets with the initiel outlet eepurated from the inlet by e partition and the second outlet separated by e partition from the initial outlet, the partitions hevng aiming porte, a velvelmovnble through seid ports and normally closing" ooin munieation between the inlet end the ini tiel' outlet, the vulve leaving e tubuler open end portionentendirng into the seoonsl outlet und seid tubular portion havin leteralvv ports normally open to said secon outlet 1out adapted to be placed in register with tbe initial outlet by opening movement of the valve, whereby communication is estublishecl between the ges inlet end one obotn of the outletsietermined by tbe position o the valve, and an operative connection between 4the ges vulve and the water valve.

'l'. ln u, Water heater, water-valve easing having on inlet und an outlet, u piston within the casing and when moved i'or'worel by inlet pressure adopted, to establish Kcommunioetion between the inlet und outlet, a ges-valve veasing having a, pluielity of outlets, seperate groups olf burners connected to eeen outlet, und a normally closed valve operatively conneotedto the piston and adapted to open. one or more oi the gusvulve outlets determined by the extent of for-wurd movement ofthe. piston,

u in n wuter'lieter, tlie combination of n water vavle easing; having en inlet and a relityn'of outlets, e piston vulve movable in gthe easing und eotuete-l by pressure from the normally closed :incl

per unit of time,

the combination of e u yineens controlled by tbe vulveior delivering e predetermined :minuut of gus, when the initial outlet oi tne Water vulve' easing is open und. for delivering un increased pre determined amount of gas when the piston lies'been moved eulnciently to open the second outlet oi tbe witter valve casing.

9. combination with a Witter heater having o plurality of independent gas burnl ers, e. gas valve for serially controllino' seid burners," und un agent actuated by the difference in Water pressure between the water inlet and outlet for operutinff seid ges valve.

10. ln combination witli e. Water heater having e plurality of independent gas burners, u piston valve for serially controlling tbe supply of es delivered to ASuid burners, and u water verve in weten pressure between the water inlet und outlet for operating said piston valve.

il. ln e water heater, the combination of :t 'Water vulve casing having an inlet and u plurality of outlets with euch outlet adapted actuated by the diii'erence to deliver u predetermined quantity of water place the inlet progressively in oomrnunicetion with be outlets, :i spring for opposing movement oil the iston vulve', ,and e gus vulve actuated by t e piston valve and' oonstuoted to deliver a, predetermined amount of ges for eeen open position oi the piston vulve. l

12. n a Water heater, the combination of e' Water valve casing having en inlet and a plurality of outlets with each outlet adapted to deliver e preoleterminedv quantity of water e piston vulve movable in the casing and actuated bv inlet pressure to place the inlet progressively in eommunication with the outlets, the piston valve tapered for increasing the area of communi- -oetion as the valve moves from closed position, e spring for opposing' movement the valve rrom closed position, the valve eusng constructed with a. vulved bypass between its inlet and outlet independently of the piston vulve7 and a gus valve actuated by the piston valve and constructed to deliver e predetermined amount of ges for each open position of the pion valve.

lfn combination with a water heater having n' plmality of independent gas burn* ers, n gus vulve for serially controlling said burners, a water vulve eesing'lmving an inlet und a multi-ported outlet, u valve controlling seid outlet und operative connections loe-- tween valve end seid ges vulve. y

CERTIFICATE 0F GORREGTN.

Patent No. 1,292,609. Granted January 28, 1919, to

HERBERT S. HUMPHREY.

lt is hereby certified that the State of incorporation of the assignee in the above numbered patent was erroneously given as "Pennsylvania", whereas said State should have been given as New Jersey, as shown by the records of assignments in the office; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 27th day of January, A. l). 1931.

M. J. Moore, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

